How to Buy the Right Baseball Bat

If you are looking to buy a baseball bat either for yourself or your kid you might want to get some research done with respect to the type of bat you should be buying. The power and speed you generate on your hit will depend directly upon your bat as it would upon your own physical prowess. With this article I hope to provide you with tips and knowledge on buying a baseball bat.

The Material :

There are basically two types of baseball bats, based on the material used in the manufacture, they are wooden and non-wooden. Non-wooden bats are usually made out of aluminum. Wooden bats are made out of ash wood as a norm, but bats made from maple wood are also available. Unless you are in the pro league or if the game regulations prevent you from using a non-wooden bat you would be better off buying yourself an aluminum bat. If you are buying a bat for your kid, who is interested in youth baseball, it would be best to buy an aluminum bat. Aluminum bats not only provide a higher jump off the metal but they are also light compared to their wooden counterparts. A wooden bat can never compare to the lightness and hence the bat speed of the aluminum bats. More expensive metal alloys would allow for higher jump off the impact, sending the ball to a far higher distance than would be possible with a wooden bat. Most of the bats usually last only a couple of seasons at the maximum, if you play a lot your bat might not last more than one season. Each bat is only good enough for that many number of hits, so be careful about the price you are shelling out for your bat. Don’t go in for very cheap bats if you play a lot but ensure that you don’t invest unwisely on over expensive bats either.

Bear in mind that only wooden bats are allowed in pro leagues but most of the youth leagues allow for non-wooden bats.

The Drop factor:

The drop factor plays a very important role in the power of your hit as well as bat speed. Basically the drop factor is calculated by the difference between the length of the bat and the weight of the bat. Usually the minimum drop factor required in league baseball is -3.

As the drop factor increases the bat speed increases or rather the swing speed increases which is logical, since more weight at the barrel would cause the bat to come down faster.

A lower drop factor however can increase the power behind the shot since it is more controlled. Eventually it also depends on the physical strength of the player, if you have greater physical strength you should consider using bats with a higher drop factor.

Usually a normal bat would weight around 1 kg or 33 ounces with the maximum height of 42 inches and no more than 2.75 inches in diameter.

The Grip:

A baseball bat consists of three regions. The barrel which is the sweet spot for any hit, the tip or base which would not produce much impact and the handle. Aluminum bats usually come with a rubber or a cloth grip so that the player can hold the bat better. Wooden bats usually don’t come with a grip but the hold can be improved by rubbing some pine tar onto the handle. Make sure you don’t run too much pine tar as it might be against certain league regulations.

While buying a baseball bat do take into consideration the drop factor and decide the correct length of your bat. The weight of the bat should be comfortable for you so that it does not reduce the power of your hit. A test to determine if a weight suits you would be hold the hold steady at your shoulder level by stretching your arms out, trying maintaining the bat in this position for at-least 10-15 seconds. If you are not able to do so then the weight is too high for you, try going in for a lower weight bat. The weight factor and the height factor (basically the drop factor) will play a very important role in your capacity at hitting continuously with power.

I hope this article was helpful in either providing you with tips on buying baseball bats or improving your knowledge on the same.